1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a software part (software component) update technique in a multifunctional image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the use of networks becomes popular, various devices exist on a network. An apparatus shared between client PCs, such as an image processing apparatus (a printing apparatus or a multifunctional peripheral having a plurality of functions such as printing, FAX, scanner, and copying) generally exists on a network. Such an image processing apparatus incorporates a CPU (processor) to analyze and process jobs received from a client.
Updating a program (firmware) executed by the CPU allows for easy changing (modification) and/or addition of functions executable by the image processing apparatus within the range of hardware resources of the apparatus. In general, when receiving jobs, the image processing apparatus often queues and sequentially executes them.
When updating firmware, the image processing apparatus is disconnected from the network so as not to receive any new job during the update.
As a related art, there has been proposed a technique of optimizing rewrite of firmware and execution of a print job (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-054087). According to this technique, when the image processing apparatus is to simultaneously perform a print job and update its firmware, it transfers the print job to another image processing apparatus and updates its firmware after transfer.
Conventionally, the image processing apparatus may not update software while a job is registered, and may not execute the job by itself.
A type of job known as a “timer job” is one which designates an execution time for a job, unlike a job whose process is executed at job input time. However, a problem may occur when the job queue (job execution queue) does not properly register jobs after software is updated or deleted. For example, when a timer job is actually registered, and the job execution queue registers the timer job in order to execute it later, a problem may occur because the software which is maintaining registration of the timer job is changed or deleted.
Updating firmware by conventional techniques assumes no job registration in the image processing apparatus. Thus, a demand is created for updating software even when a registered job exists.